Sweetness improving agent and foods containing the same

Abstract

Sweetness improving agents capable of improving sweetness characteristics, in particular, aftertaste characteristics. More particularly, the sweetness improving agents contain as the active ingredient a yeast extract, in particular, one containing sodium 5′-inosinate and / or sodium 5′-adenylate, sodium 5′-guanylate; sodium 5′-uridylate and sodium 5′-cytidylate, each in an amount of 1 to 15% based on the weight of the yeast extract, and 1 to 20% of sodium glutamate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a sweetness improving agent which improves sweetness properties, particularly aftertaste properties, and foods containing the same.2. Description of Related ArtRecently, in the field of sweeteners, low caloric or non-caloric sweeteners have made a rapid spread in place of sucrose, which is high calorific, thanks to a health oriented mind. For example, aspartame, one of low calorific sweeteners is characterized by having no bitter taste nor astringent taste or stimulating taste but having refreshing sweetness. However, it is defective in that it lacks sufficient thickness as a sweetening substance and it retains sweetness in its aftertaste. Other low calorific and non-calorific sweeteners also have defects in that they have insufficient sweetness, generation of foreign sweetness, or dull sweetness. Food containing the low calorific or non-calorific sweeteners has been increasingly felt to have simila...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

As a result of intensive investigation by the present inventors with view to solving the problems, it has now been found that a yeast extract, particularly a yeast extract containing sodium 5′-inosinate and / or sodium 5′-adenylate; and sodium 5′-guanylate, sodium 5′-uridylate, and sodium 5′-cytidylate, each in an amount of 1 to 15% based on the weight of the yeast extract, and 1 to 20% of sodium glutamate based on the weight of the yeast extract, improves sweetness properties, particularly after taste properties. The present invention has been completed based on this discovery. Accordingly, the present invention provides a sweetness improving agent comprising a yeast extract as an effective ingredient and a food containing such an sweetness improving agent.

Among the yeast extracts, the yeast extract which is obtained by extracting a yeast with warm or hot water and subsequently acting a nuclease, an AMP deaminase and contains 1 to 15% each of sodium 5′-inosinate, sodium 5′-guanylate, sodium 5′-uridylate and sodium 5′-cytidylate, and 1 to 20% of sodium glutamate, based on the weight of the yeast extract, is particularly preferred and exhibits great effect of improvement in sweetness properties such as sweetness enhancement and sharpness of sweetness.

Problems solved by technology

However, it is defective in that it lacks sufficient thickness as a sweetening substance and it retains sweetness in its aftertaste.

Other low calorific and non-calorific sweeteners also have defects in that they have insufficient sweetness, generation of foreign sweetness, or dull sweetness.

Food containing the low calorific or non-calorific sweeteners has been increasingly felt to have similar defects such as insufficient sweetness, generation of foreign sweetness, or dull sweetness.

However, the improvement in sweetness properties of low caloric or non-caloric sweeteners to provide satisfaction which equal to that of sucrose still remains insufficient and in many cases ingredients which are used in combination or added have the problem that they require the same degree of mass as those of the sweeteners.

Further, the taste (sweetness) which remains as an aftertaste tends to give adverse influences on the total taste of the food so that improvement in swift vanishing of an aftertaste has been desired.